1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of fiber optics and, more particularly, to a fiber optic splice closure having a round configuration that provides physical protection and storage for cables such as those used in telecommunications.
2. Brief Description of Prior Art
Optical fiber communications systems, employing fiber optic cables are widely used in the telecommunication industry to transmit large volumes of data and voice signals. Splice points and drop points for the fiber optic cables are required for most such systems. At a splice point, for example, all of the fibers at one end of a cable are spliced to corresponding fibers of a tandem cable.
For both splice points and drop points, the optical fibers are exposed from the protective cable jacket to be spliced and secured within a splice closure. The splice closure typically includes a protective housing with one or more splice organizers, or splice trays, disposed in stacked arrangement within the protective housing. The cables generally extend into the housing and are secured therein.
The typical fiber optic closure further includes a storage tray adjacent the stacked splice trays. A typical storage tray is generally rectangular and includes a base and a pair of opposing upwardly extending walls from the base. A large number of fibers are passed through the closure and positioned in the storage tray without being spliced. Unfortunately, optical fiber positioned within a conventional storage tray may be bent in any direction in order to be stored in the storage tray thereby increasing attenuation and possibly physically damaging the fiber. Accordingly, the prior art closure having a conventional-shaped storage tray is unacceptable for use with optical fiber cables.
As will be seen from the subsequent description, the preferred embodiments of the present invention overcome shortcomings of the prior art.